As a CNM, I get a lot of interesting emails. One was advising me of a potential employment opportunity - well remunarated to be sure - working in sub-Saharan Africa.
I looked around the net to find the full job posting. Senior Technical Advisor, USAIDRepositioning Family Planning: In response to the growing concern about the state of family planning (FP) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), PRH and the Africa Bureau are supporting an initiative to reinvigorate interest in family planning and to reposition it as a critical component of reproductive health programs as well as of national and international development agendas.Repositioning Family Planning is a multi-lateral initiative to mobilize commitment and strengthen family planning in SSA. The objectives of the initiative are to strengthen the environment for family planning and to support scale-up or expansion of proven approaches to increase voluntary contraceptive use.

Consider Humanae Vitae 17:Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
Are we there?

I wish that I could blog from work.
Miss Kate sent me this link. (registration required)The Abortion Debate No One Wants to Have
It is so exactly on target that I wanted to put the link up as soon as I saw it - but I couldn't. However, I see that many other bloggers picked up the ball and ran with it.

The question that I haven't heard answered by the pro-choice folk is this one.
At what point does the right to abort become a duty to abort?
I greatly fear that the predominant ethos in our culture has become utility. Time and money seem to trump all other values. I was explaining to a group recently that part of the reason docs throw birth control pills at just about every 'female complaint' is that they do offer great symptom relief, and don't require careful or painstaking detective work to get to the root of the problem. When a doc has the office manager reminding him or her that it takes seeing 3 or more patients an hour just to cover overhead, said doc is not going to be highly motivated to take 30 or 40 minutes getting into long discussions.

If you can help Birgitta, please contact her directly - contact information is at the end of her request.
*******************************I have decided to undertake my research for the fall semseter on VBAC. I am arguing that failing to provide VBAC is unethical, infringes on a woman's autonomy, and can even put her at unnecessary risk, etc.
I have been given permission to use anecdotal evidence as proof of the lack of availability in cities, rural areas etc. I will NOT use anyone's name in my paper.

Would those of you who have been denied VBAC mind emailing me with
the location where you were denied VBAC and the name of the hospital or health care system as well?
Also, could you let me know who delivered you (i.e., MD, CNM, no one, etc) and where you ultimately delivered (i.e. at home, hospital, hospital after ambulance transport).

The minor child is this story essentially died because he did not get an urgent surgical procedure because he did not have a parent present. No one thought it important to take him across state lines to a state with more lenient laws on parental consent. No one thought that he needed an attorney or a judge to protect his right to have this (in this case) life-saving procedure performed. The legal requirement for parental consent (and payment?) was met. And due to the delay, a relatively minor condition festered until it became fatal. 'A torrent of tears'